Easy ideas for bringing people together

Happy Halloween from Team VolunteerSpot! Whether you're enjoying a spookeriffic class party, taking the kids trick or treating, or entertaining volunteers for a special Halloween celebration, we hope it's FUN, safe and most of all, a real howl!

Volunteer Recruitment Ideas

Did you know tweets with images receive 18% more clicks, 89% more favorites and 150% more retweets?* If you're putting out the call for volunteers are twitter, use one of our free images below to capture extra attention and boost turnout! Right click each image to download, save and use on twitter when sharing your volunteer sign-ups and event news!

STEM Resources for Parents

Ever wonder why your young one can't stop asking "Why? Why? Why?" Observation and investigation are key traits in developing young minds, and the "why" behind how things happen is key to problem-solving and critical thinking. Engage your young learner in STEM education and exploration with these 3 FUN ideas:

1. Join the Magic School Bus Science Club! If you have children (ages 5-12) who enjoy the Magic School Bus books or videos–and if you like doing science experiments with them–then you'll LOVE The Magic School Bus Science Club! Developed by a team of Harvard graduates, scientists, and educators, the award-winning Magic School Bus Science Kits are delivered monthly right to your doorstep. Children will explore science through experiments that will spark an interest and curiosity in science.

SPECIAL OFFER: Through the end of the week you can receive 55% OFF a year’s subscription through Educents…and FREE shipping in the Continental United States! Ships to Canada for $2/month. Just use code VS10 at checkout and you'll receive an additional 10% off the already discounted price - bringing the total to just $9 per month, DELIVERED! Each kit includes a colorful manual based on The Magic School Bus characters, as well as everything you need to complete at least seven experiments related to that month’s theme. Get it now!

2. Celebrate Seasonal STEM Activities: The fall and winter months provide a ripe atmosphere for scientific experimentation and STEM fun! From learning about the link between natural light and sleep to a great fall leaf challenge and bonus cold weather science experiments, this list of seasonal STEM activities is must - click here.

3. Introduce Your Kids to Coding: Looking for the science of the future - try computer science! If your child enjoys gaming or has expressed an interest in computer programming, it's truly never too early for them to start learning. Pique their interest with free coding and programming sites including Code.org and Code Monster - great list over on MommyPoppins, click here.

1 year subscription includes 12 Magic School Bus kits + FREE SHIPPING in the Continental USA (Ships to Canada for $2/month).

Each kit includes:Detailed, large 12-page colorful manual that is full of experiments and topic informationEach manual is based on the popular Magic School Bus books and TV seriesIncludes an adult section so that adults with no science background will find the kits easy to useMaterials and information necessary for a range of interactive experimentsOnline Clubhouse for further exploration on each kit topicCertificate of Completion

Kit Topics:

Would your family have fun with this? If so, now’s a great time to sign up:

Through the end of the week you can receive 55% OFF a year’s subscription through Educents…and FREE shipping in the Continental United States! Ships to Canada for $2/month. Just use code VS10 at checkout and you'll receive an additional 10% off the already discounted price - bringing the total to just $108/yr. That's just $9 per month, DELIVERED!

The first kit will ship on December 15th! You can even create and print off your own gift cards to let your children know about the surprise. Enjoy your exploration alongside Ms. Frizzle!

Kids' STEM Experiments and Activities

Peaking interest in science and technology is easy this season with fun, fall-themed STEM activities and events for kids > check out our top 4 picks:

1. Bright Schools Competition: Get your middle schooler to check Snapchat later and instead engage in a top-tier STEM competition that draws on a love of video, science and teamwork. The Bright Schools Competition (brought to you by the National Sleep Foundation and National Science Teacher’s Association) is a national video competition that helps students (and teachers) explore links between light and sleep. A team-based endeavor with thousands of dollars in cash prizes and STEM grants available, the Bright Schools Competition is a must for your budding scientist this year. Learn more and register today > click here.

2. Halloween Science Experiments: Kitchen science is a hoot this season with fun (and simple) experiments kids love. Find a good use for that extra Halloween candy with structure building and dissolving experiments straight from the classroom – more ideas here.

3. Fall STEM Challenge: Help kids young and old get out in nature and enjoy the wonder of the changing seasons with the Fall STEM Challenge from TheEducatorsSpinOnit. From walking to collecting and documenting leaf colors, shapes and sizes, this fun DIY challenge also involves a hands on craft for kids - click to learn more.

4. Cold Weather Experiments: As those fall temperatures begin to drop, your child’s imagination can peak with fun weather-based science experiments. Learning states of matter, freezing and melting temperatures, even a touch of chemistry is easy with fun cold weather experiments from LemonLimeAdventures – click here.

More about the Bright Schools Competition:

Registration open! Projects due Jan. 29, 2015. Winners announced April 2015. Teachers and parent leaders can become coaches and help students form a team of 2 to 4. Participants are asked to explore the correlation between light and sleep using scientific inquiry or engineering design concepts. Awards include:

Student Awards

All students receive an entry certificate to acknowledge their hard work in the competition.

First Place: each student on the winning team receives a cash prize of $5,000

Second Place: each student on the winning team receives a cash prize of $2,500

Third Place: each student on the winning team receives a cash prize of $1,500

Teacher Awards

First Place Team – technology package (e.g. Vernier Deluxe Middle School Probeware Package – up to $1000 value), all-expense paid trip to one NSTA conference and one year membership to NSTA (total value: $3000 )

Second Place Team –all-expense paid trip to one NSTA conference and a one-year membership to NSTA (total value: up to $2,100)

Third Place Team – one-year membership to NSTA and a gift certificate to the NSTA store (total value: up to $500)

In particular, we have provided staffing for four concession tents at the annual celebrity golf tournament and have continued to participate for the last 26 years. The event has been sponsored by a variety of companies over the years and lasts six days. This year we needed to fill about 490 five-hour shifts.

Explain how you use VolunteerSpot to coordinate these volunteers.

After setting up the scheduling in VolunteerSpot, we send out invitations via VolunteerSpot to all of our members (about 100) and the SITS members. As the coordinator I love the fact that VolunteerSpot sends out reminders so I never have to worry about people forgetting.

Why did you decide to use VolunteerSpot?

A former member used VolunteerSpot with another non-profit organization for several years and suggested we give it a try last year. Prior to using VolunteerSpot, I was constantly connected to my sign-up binder. Now it’s all up to them - they can select their spots and change them whenever they need to - even in the middle of the night! Such freedom for me!!

What advice do you have for volunteers or their leaders out there?

Get familiar with VolunteerSpot before you get started - train your volunteers how to sign up beforehand and don’t be afraid to ask for help!

What else would you like our readers to know about your organization or volunteering?

Our club is very active and hard working! We get some great celebrities for the celebrity golf tournament - this year the big draw was Justin Timberlake! We also teach an abduction-prevention training in all the 4-6th grade classes every year. We developed this training after Jaycee Lee Dugard was abducted to make sure it never happened again. Jaycee’s mom helped us with that project. And we celebrated with a huge parade when Jaycee was found.

We salute SISLT and all the other volunteers making a difference in their communities. Check out how VolunteerSpot’s Volunteer Software can save you time and stress and boost parent involvement in your school. Take a tour today!

5 Healthy Habits for Busy Families

The inevitable cold and flu season doesn’t have to take your family down for the count. Be prepared and pumped up with these 5 to-do’s for a healthy winter:

1. Take Natural Boosters: Give your kids immune system the extra boost it needs to handle the cold germs this season with Sambucol® - a unique black elderberry extract rich in immune supporting flavonoids. Sambucol is made from black elderberries which have twice the natural antioxidant capacity of blueberries and more than 50% the overall antioxidant capability of cranberries. Antioxidants support the immune system by helping neutralize the harmful effect of free radicals. Sambucol is produced from whole black elderberries and has the equivalent of up to 1000 black elderberries in every 120ml bottle. It has been developed by scientists and is recommended by experts. Learn more

2. Get More Sleep: Want to give your body a fighting chance this winter? It’s as easy as getting enough sleep – your kids too! A 2014 National Sleep Foundation study* found that 6 to 10 year olds weren’t even getting 9 of the 11 recommended hours of sleep. Teens are just as bad, receiving less than 7 hours of the recommended 9. Healthy sleep habits start with mom and dad and can mean a healthier cold & flu season – good habits include bedtime routines, devices put away after dinner, and appropriate and consistent bedtimes.

3. Drink More Water: Staying hydrated is key to not only proper nutrition but making healthy choices. A 2015 Nestle Pure Life Survey found that roughly 54% of all school-age children are inadequately hydrated and that when kids don’t drink the recommended amount of water each day, they are more likely to choose sugary sodas, juices and sports drinks. Healthy choices give kids a leg up during cold and flu season. Having trouble getting the kids to drink more water? Check out 3 Healthy Hydration Tips for Busy Moms.

4. Consume Less Sugar: Avoiding sugar can be tough during cold and flu season because it happens to fall right on top of all our favorite foodie holidays. Where cookies, fudge and candy abound, however, so do empty calories, poor nutrition and more susceptible immune systems. Find healthy alternatives to holiday favorites, packs lots of veggies and healthy snacks for family holiday travel & drink lots of water!

5. Practice Good Hygiene: It’s never too early to make sure your young ones know proper germ etiquette for cold and flu season. Practice washing hands and sanitizing regularly, and teach kids when they need to sneeze, to do so into their elbow. Have to cough? Cough into a tissue, throw it out and wash your hands!

Cheers to Collin County for Using VolunteerSpot's Free Volunteer Scheduling Software!

Since its opening in 1969, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Collin County made a point to be a place where children could better themselves and reach their fullest potential. The organization still strongly stands by its original mission to help boys and girls in the area and uses VolunteerSpot to carry out their activities.

Please tell us about your organization's mission and your general volunteer needs.

The mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Collin County is to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Our organization’s volunteer needs have a very wide range! Volunteers support afterschool programs, annul events, special projects and programs and so much more!

Explain how you use VolunteerSpot to recruit and coordinate these volunteers.

We use VolunteerSpot to fill ALL of the organization’s volunteer needs! Whenever we are in need of volunteers we create a sign up sheet and then place the sharable link in our volunteer newsletter along with a brief summary of the volunteer opportunities/tasks. The reports available on VolunteerSpot make it easy to coordinate volunteers and track hours for each event!

We also have a VolunteerSpot button on our website, which allows anyone who visits our site to have access to current volunteer opportunities.

Why did you decide to use VolunteerSpot?

It was the only system that truly thought of everything! We can do everything – from creating sign ups, communicating with volunteers, tracking hours, to even sending a thank you for all of their hard work!

What’s one piece of advice you have for volunteers or their leaders out there?

One piece of advice I would give volunteers/leaders would be a quote from Gandhi – “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” And utilize tools that will help you do so, tools like VolunteerSpot!

5 What else would you like our readers to know about Boys and Girls Clubs or volunteering?

Volunteers play a vital role in supporting nonprofits, such as the Boys & Girls Clubs of Collin County and we truly could not achieve our mission if it weren’t for the dedicated individual who we know and love as volunteers!

We salute Collin County and all the other volunteers making a difference in their communities. Check out how VolunteerSpot’s Volunteer Software can save you time and stress and boost parent involvement in your school. Take a tour today!

Teal Pumpkins for a Safer Halloween

Food allergies don't take a break for one of the biggest food holidays of the year, and it's so important to spread awareness to help keep all kids safe. Helping families make Halloween celebrations sweet for all kids, the nonprofit FARE (Food and Allergy Research Education) is continuing the Teal Pumpkin Project this year, hoping to reach 100K households. It's super easy to get involved!

1) Take the pledge to support a safe and happy Halloween for all kids over on FARE, click here.

2) Buy non-edible Halloween goodies to hand out to trick or treaters like:

Spider rings

Pencils

Erasers

Stickers

Glow sticks

Bracelets

Bouncy balls

Bubbles

3) Pain a pumpkin teal and place on your front porch so families with kids with allergies know it's a safe place to go!

Holiday Fundraisers

It’s never too early to get in on the holiday spirit when your school or cause is looking to boost fundraising dollars! Check out these 5 smart fundraising ideas for schools and nonprofits:

1. Scrumptious holiday products: Nothing says deck the halls like the festive holiday treats from See’s Candies! A delicious and fun way to boost fundraising profits during the holidays is to get started with a fan favorite – See’s Candies. Their easy to use online Yumraising Program equips schools and nonprofits with all the tools they need to customize their own candy shop, spread the word, take orders, and supply families with all that holiday chocolate they love. Learn more

2. Add product fundraisers to your community events: The holidays are packed with school and community events like performances, talent shows, concerts, the list goes on. One easy way to boost fundraiser profits is to add a booth or table wherever your school or organization is selling tickets or concessions for an event, and encourage attendees to purchase See’s Candies to help fundraise for your school or organization. Imagine adding a See’s Candies chocolate booth at the holiday concert – can you say ka-ching?!

3. Coordinate holiday fundraiser volunteers online: Streamline volunteer support for your holiday fundraisers and events with free online sign-ups from VolunteerSpot. Spending less time on organizing volunteer shifts, tasks and donations means spending more time for focusing on your fundraising goals. Quick schedule where and when your school or group needs help and email or share the sign-up link on social media. Participants and volunteers can sign up 24/7 from any device, anywhere – and automated reminders keep everyone on track! Get started

4. Holiday fundraiser incentives: The joy-filled holiday season is a great time to cue up fun and creative incentives to help school families meet their fundraising goals. One great example comes from See’s Candies who is awarding 2 free gift certificates for every $500 spent in fundraising. That’s bonus prizes your school or nonprofit can use in gift baskets, at an auction, to reward volunteers, you name it! Learn more at sees.com/fundraisingoffer

5. DIY holiday decorations: Ditch the high overhead cost of decorating for your holiday fundraising events and opt for creative, colorful DIY alternatives like these. School and nonprofit volunteers can unite for a DIY decorating party to spend time together and help your fundraiser save money, thus boosting the bottom line!

Organize Class Helpers for the Halloween Party

Planning the classroom Halloween party? Quickly organize class parents to help with free online sign-ups with reminders! Recruit more parent volunteers to help with decorating, setup and cleanup, craft and game time, reading Halloween stories, you name it! Start planningRoom parents, teachers and class leaders can customize their sign-up with festive themes, badges, even the school logo! The class party sign-up link can be emailed to class parents, texted via Remind, and posted on social media and the class blog. Parents click or tap the link from their computer or smartphone and sign up within seconds - anytime, anywhere. And best of all, no passwords required!

Class parents can add their commitments to their online calendars right from the sign-up and automated reminders help keep everyone on track! Ditch the 'reply-all' emails and last-minute phone calls and save time (and stress) with free online class party sign-ups. Get started

Tailgate Like a Pro | 3 Time-Saving Tips

We are big fans of time-saving tips that help busy families spend more time together and have more fun! Our friends over at SportsMomSurvivalGuide.com are sharing their top hints and tricks for organizing tailgates for your favorite sporting events and parties >>

It’s a great time of year for tailgating!! Even if you aren’t a football fan, I’m sure you can appreciate the season for other reasons. Some of the things I love the most are the cool weather and hanging out with friends to catch a game. If you have kids who play for a high school/college team or you are fortunate enough to have season tickets to the NFL, then you might be a tailgating pro? If you tailgate often or are just a once-a-year spectator, we have 3 tailgating timesavers that will help you pull it off without a hitch!

Free eBook: Halloween Class Party Ideas

Cast the perfect spell for a spooky FUN class party this year with snack, craft and activity ideas from FamilyFun Magazine and VolunteerSpot! Check out, download, and share our free Halloween Class Party eBook today >>

In this eBook:

- Class Party Checklist

- Free, Online Class Party Sign-Ups

- Craft, Snack & Halloween Games

- Halloween Stories for Kids

- And more!

Save time, have more FUN, and get more class parents involved at this year's Halloween party - it's easy with the fun hints, tips, tricks and treats in the NEW Halloween Party Ideas for Kids eBook. Click here to check it out and share!

Cheers to GLAC for using VolunteerSpot with their volunteer needs!

Please tell us about your organization and your volunteer needs.

The Gallatin Legal Assistance Clinic (GLAC) was established in October 2013 to help low-income families meet their family law legal needs by matching them with a volunteer attorney. Twelve to 15 attorneys give family members pro bono (at no cost) legal advice, assistance with documents and may help the client prepare for mediation or to appear in court. The attorneys help parents and spouses with divorces, parenting plans, delayed child support, adoptions and other family law matters. The clinic meets once a month and serves approximately 12 clients per clinic, and clients may come in repeatedly.

Explain how you use VolunteerSpot to coordinate these volunteers.

We use VolunteerSpot as a registration sheet so our attorney volunteers can insert their names next to their proposed client's time slot. This helps the volunteer better plan their time, and allows them to do a mandatory "conflict check" to make sure there is no conflict of interest. We want to be as respectful as possible of our volunteers' time and VolunteerSpot really helps us do that!

Why did you decide to use VolunteerSpot?

Our Supreme Court pro bono coordinator Patty Fain in Helena, Montana recommended it. The clinic functions on a shoestring budget, so a free program like VolunteerSpot is exactly what we need. We love that VolunteerSpot does automatic reminders – that saves the time for our volunteer coordinator.

What’s one piece of advice you have for volunteers or their leaders out there?

Make it as easy as possible for your volunteers to sign up. Be grateful that VolunteerSpot sends reminders to everyone!

What else would you like our readers to know about your organization or volunteering?

Our volunteers are grateful to have an easy way to serve others. They are all busy attorneys who work 60+ hours per week, but VolunteerSpot makes it easy for them to help the most vulnerable and highest legal need in our area.

We salute GLAC and all the other volunteers programs making a difference in their communities. Check out how VolunteerSpot’s Volunteer Software can save you time and stress and boost parent involvement in your school. Take a tour today!